Baler could be another Maui if…

BALER is similar to Maui in many respects. They both have beautiful waterfalls, rock formation, board walks, mountains, beaches, surfing waves and maybe others. Maui has its centuries-old giant banyan tree while Maria Aurora has its huge balete tree.

And that is where the similarity ends. When it comes to Balerianos, these are a few of my experiences in three-and-a-half days. I admire the people of Maui in my almost two weeks’ stay there.

First I went there to teach at the Tour Guiding Seminar, batches 1 & 2, of our Department of Tourism (DOT). Our participants were tricycle drivers, surfing instructors and homestay owners. They were all so eager to learn and are proud to be tour guides while driving their tricycle. Tricycle is the only public transportation available around Baler. In my last morning, one of them brought me to the surf beach and even gave me lots of sabutan seedlings. Sabutan is the material they use to make hats, mats and others. He didn’t accept my payment, but I insisted on paying the fare and his time; tricycle driving is his only means of livelihood. One of our participants gave me nuts and coco jam and a beautiful necklace.

On my second morning, I slipped and fell on the stairs of Machiavelli Lodge. My new and expensive Lumix camera and my handbag containing another Lumix camera went crashing on the tiled floor. Worse of all, I fell hard on my right side (palm, arm, butt, thigh and leg). It was a DOT staff and a lodge kitchen helper who helped me up. The front desk clerk did not even bother to look at me. My fellow speaker screamed and asked for help but continued to use her IPad. My scream could have been heard miles away but the other DOT officials in the nearby room did not bother to look. I told them later but they just shrugged their shoulders. Technically they were responsible for my safety since I am on official business with them.

We were having breakfast when the owner came by the hotel. Vice Mayor Karen Angara-Ularan is a niece of ex-Senator Angara. She exchanged pleasantries with the DOT personnel. Nobody even hinted on my mishap. So I told her when she was about to leave.

She simply let out an almost inaudible “I am sorry.” The DOT people had nothing to say.

My butt still hurts to this day and I intend to have it x-rayed as soon as I could. Vice Mayor Ularan should have brought me to a hospital for an x-ray. She, according to the DOT people, sent a “hilot” since I had asked for one the night before. The “hilot” came and she talked all the time but she definitely does not know about “hilot” technique. I know because I have a regular “hilot” here in Manila. And she insulted me big when she told me that I look like a 70-year-old. Even if I did, she shouldn’t have said it and I definitely look younger than her 68 years. Baleriano!

DOT assigned a tour guide for me so I could see the beauty of Baler and Maria Aurora. The first afternoon was okay because the guide was already there. The second time, the morning of the day I was leaving for Manila, she suggested that we start off at 5 a.m. so we could admire the sunrise at Sabang Beach and have time to visit other places. I was up early and I waited and waited and waited. The DOT staff tracked her whereabouts. At 9:20 a.m., she arrived smiling. No apologies. Baleriana! She wasted my time. I sent her home.

We also asked one of the local DOT provincial personnel to help us buy some goodies to bring home—fish, beef, lobsters, etc. He didn’t have anything to do at the seminar anyway, he just sits there, chats with the others and does some errands. Well, he called another person to do the marketing for us. I would have wanted to do the marketing myself since the market is just around the corner. I feel the goodies were overpriced. Of course, the guy needs to earn.

One last—among many more—I went to the bus station by taxi here in Manila twice to get my tickets in advance. I even got a senior citizen discount. When I got my reimbursement, it was short by P44, no excuses. Baleriana! The worst can’t yet be printed here.

I might go back to enjoy the beauty of Baler and I know now how to deal with Balerianos. I had a brief chat with Mayor Nelianto “Pilot” Bihasa, a close and trusted ally of the Angaras, and I gather that he seems to be interested in tourism. Baler came into the consciousness of local tourists when Kris Aquino featured it in her TV show for a week.

And so Baler is scampering to receive a surge of tourists with their limited facilities and that “attitude” of people. BTW, the whole Aurora Province is dominated by the Angaras in all aspects.

I long to go back to Camiguin. Governor Jurdin Jesus “JJ” M. Romualdo set the mood and the pace and all Camiguingnons follow suit. The magic of good management and leadership by example.

Maybe if you are a foreigner they will treat you differently, they should be hospitable that is the trait DOT are bragging in the internet to convince tourist.The workers/ employees of that lodging house should be trained on how to entertain guest. These local DOT personnel should learn their lesson from this article and should take this as an advise or constructive criticism if there intention is to improve Baler as tourist spot.

With all due respect to the Author and Manila Times better check your facts. Vice Mayor Karen Angara-Ularan does not own Machiavelli Lodge. It is I who owns it. You can check it with DTI, BIR and with LGU-Baler.

When the incident happened two of our staff members and a pastor from Victory Church helped her out. The next morning I personally looked for her to apologize but due to their schedule and my other work I was not able to do so. I told my staff to attend to her needs and always ask updates from her and always inform me if she needed anything. We got her a “manghihilot” and she was the one to set the time. She first told our staff that she will get her massage by 9 pm then she changed it to 6 pm then 6:30 pm. When one of our staff went to her room and asked her if the massage therapist could go in she shouted in a very rude manner “Dapat Kanina Pa”. It was only 6:30 pm during that time. The next morning she told our front desk that the massage therapist was “sobrang unprofessional” because she was asking lots of questions. But when we called the therapist to ask about what happened she was very much disappointed because this author of yours told the opposite story. She even said that Mrs. Ramos-Aquino told her “na magpapahilot siya ulit sa akin”. The therapy session was to be paid by us but she insisted her payment to the therapist because “ayaw daw niya ng libre”. The next day our Front Desk Officer had a conversation with her. Our front desk officer asked her how she was doing and she replied that “Im okay just a little sore”. But she will tell other people that nobody in the hotel even cared about her. She was telling us that she is alright already then afterward tell a different story to others. She also gave really bad and disrespectful comments about our hometown and its people. That our people were disrespectful but we all tried to please her. She gave negative comments about our local priest and our Fiesta Celebration. Nothing seems…

1. as far as I remember there was only one guy (the kitchen helper) who helped me up. ah, I forgot that my nape also hit the last step before I slid down the floor. nobody else from the hotel inquired about my well-being. I do remember a helper-looking person asked me how I am.
2. I was told by the provincial and municipal tourism staff that it is Karen who owns the hotel. and I saw Karen there everyday of our stay.
3. the hilot is something else. of course, how could I tell her that I would get her services again when I was leaving in two days’ time? baleriano! I paid her php300. I simply gave her my payment without saying anything.
3. Your priest is something else. I could write another column about his demeanor as a priest, but I will not give him that honor.

Nakabisita kami (only two of us – with my wife) sa Baler last february, 2014. for 6 hrs vios driving from Manila, we arrived in Baler. Compared to a high cost (airfare) Bora, Batanes and Palawan, Baler has an advantages.. worth it for 5 days in Baler and Dicasalarin, walang pagsisisi..

In the next 2 years, if the traffic in Cabanatuan section will improved (less 2 hrs), malaki ang potential ng Baler and Dicasalarin for local and backpacker foreign tourist..

something’s wrong very wrong with our DOT, pretty big on promotions blah blah blah and when you get there the place, the people are not ready. you’re in for a big surprise and disappointment! supposed to be getting there is half the fun, in reality getting there is such a b***h!